In It to Win It
by RavieSnake
Summary: Draco really wants to win the annual Halloween costume contest at the Leaky Cauldron. He thinks he's got a winning idea, but then Harry shows up in an equally amusing costume. Will either win? Post Hogwarts. EWE. Oneshot. Draco/Hermione, Harry/Ginny


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters from it. I make no money from the writing/publishing of this story.

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 **A/N: Just a fun little Halloween oneshot for my fellow Harry Potter/Dramione lovers. Happy Halloween!**

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"Are you ready yet!?" Hermione hollered up the stairs.

"Nearly!" came Draco's slightly muffled response.

Hermione rolled her eyes impatiently and went to the mirror hanging in their foyer to inspect her make-up as she continued to wait. "We're going to be late!" she added as she dabbed at a green eyelid. Draco didn't respond and she leaned back from the mirror to look up the stairs again.

"If you'd have let me help you, we could probably be on our way by now!"

"And ruin the surprise!?" Draco called down. "Besides…you know Weasley's going to be at least an hour late anyway!"

Hermione huffed. "That doesn't mean that _we_ have to be!"

Draco didn't respond again and Hermione crossed her arms and turned to look out the front window at the darkening autumn sky. The stairs suddenly creaked with the weight of someone descending them and she whirled around to see Draco tromping down. Her eyes went comically wide.

"Oh. My. God."

Draco grinned ear to ear. "Like it?" he asked, holding out his arms and turning about.

Hermione's jaw hung open as her eyes travelled over him. "Are…are those my old Hogwarts robes?" she inquired in astonished disbelief. He nodded.

"Yeah," he answered, tugging at one of the sleeves, "I pulled them from your old trunk. A few de-wrinkling and resizing charms and…voila!"

"You cannot be serious," she said, shaking her head and attempting to suppress an amused grin.

Draco frowned up at her. "I most certainly am. I intend to win this year."

Hermione bit her lip as she looked him over. "Well…you'll certainly garner attention."

"Yeah?" Draco said, smiling again and moving to step before the mirror. "I look good then?"

"Hmm…" Hermione hummed as she scrutinized his reflection, "the hair needs to be messier."

Draco arched an eyebrow at her. "I don't do messy hair."

Hermione smirked. "I beg to differ. Why just last night your hair was quite-"

"In public," he amended, bumping her shoulder with his. She wrinkled her nose at him but reached up to run her hands over his scalp.

"Well, if you want to look authentic then it needs to be messier," she said, tousling his magically darkened locks. He stood still as she rumpled his hair this way and that with a look of sincere concentration until it was the correct amount of disheveled.

Hermione stood back then and looked him over again. "Damn, you look so bizarre as a brunette."

"And you look sexy as hell as a gorgon," he teased, picking at one of the many snakes woven into her unruly mane. The tiny serpent reared back and hissed at him and he yanked his hand back with a gasp.

Hermione laughed. "You didn't think you were the only one vying for top prize, did you?"

Draco scowled slightly. "You charmed the damn snakes to act real?"

"I'm good at charming snakes," she replied idly, as three more little snakes rose up and bobbed their heads among her curls to look at him. "Besides, what good is being magical if you can't spell-up a decent Medusa costume?"

"Well, how am I supposed to kiss you with those little bastards nipping at me?" Draco asked, pointing again at one of the snakes which indeed struck at him menacingly.

Hermione snorted as she smoothed the front of her costume and grabbed for her bag from a side table. "I'm not kissing you looking like that."

Draco smirked and pushed the lensless round frames up his nose before posing dramatically. "No? Not even a peck for the 'savior of the wizarding world'?"

She shook her head and laughed again. "Harry's going to have a fit and fall in it when he sees you," she said.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Fuck, I hate these things," Harry groused as he flicked the contact lens back into a small container of solution and blinked furiously. "I can never get them in right."

Ginny crossed her arms and leaned against their bathroom wall as she watched him try again with the other contact. "So then don't wear them. I'm sure they'll still be able to tell who you are with your glasses on."

Harry slammed his eyelid shut as the tiny lens slid into place. He stared at her via the mirror's reflection in front of him through the other watering eye. "No way. I want to win this year. I need to look as close as possible."

"I still can't believe you're doing this," Ginny said with an amused sigh.

"Why? He's going as me," Harry said, picking up the other contact again and rubbing it between the pads of his fingers to open it. He leaned forward and brought the lens to his eye as he continued. "Hermione told me she found a replica of my glasses in his study and that she'd discovered that he'd nicked her old robes and tie."

"Hermione knows you're doing this then?"

Harry stilled his hand and grinned wickedly at his wife. "No."

Ginny didn't reply but kicked off the wall and stepped up to his side as he resumed putting in the contact. "How'd you even get your hair like that?" she finally asked when he'd successfully blinked it into place.

"About a pint of Sleekeasy's and a dozen cosmetic charms and glamours. Does it look authentic?" he asked, tilting his head to assess his finished costume.

"You look terrifying," Ginny said, shaking her head.

"Well it is Halloween," Harry smirked, turning to strut about the bathroom.

Ginny laughed out loud and clapped her hands over her mouth. "Holy shit…you've even got his walk down."

"I told you," Harry said as he adjusted the green tie at his neck with a haughty air, "I plan on winning."

"They're going to flip when they see you," Ginny grinned.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hermione pulled at her cloak hood as a group of laughing Muggles passed her and Draco as they stepped up to the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. Draco eyed the boisterous group and when they were far enough down the street nodded at Hermione. She knocked on the door.

 _"The Leaky Cauldron thanks you for your patronage, but is closed at this time for a private event. Please state your name for admittance,"_ the recording of Hannah Abbott-Longbottom's voice rang out.

"Draco and Hermione Malfoy," Hermione replied. The door to the pub clicked open a moment later and they quickly slipped inside. They were immediately greeted by the sounds of Halloween music, party chatter, and a top hatted, caped, and mustachioed Neville Longbottom.

"Happy Halloween!" he greeted happily. "Whoa…sweet costume, Hermione," he said, looking to her first when she lowered her hood and her little nest of snakes hissed at him.

"Thank you, Neville," she smiled, tugging her cloak the rest of the way off. She handed it to Draco beside her who hung it on a rack by the door. Neville watched him do so and did a double take.

"Harry," he said with a sly grin as Draco turned back to face them, "Where's Gin?"

Draco grinned back. "Longbottom," he greeted with a nod, adjusting the glasses on his nose. Neville gave him a good look up and down.

"I think the competition just got real," he chuckled, glancing at Hermione. "Did you win a bet or something?"

Hermione laughed as she too regarded her husband. "No…this was all his idea."

Neville leaned close to her. "But he's even wearing real Gryffindor robes," he whispered. One of her snakes snapped at him and he bolted backwards. Draco laughed at him and stood to his full height.

"A Malfoy does whatever it takes to win," he said.

"Oh, shite! No way!" another voice called out to their right. They all turned to see an already inebriated Seamus Finnegan stumbling toward them. He fell into Neville and laughed raucously as he braced himself on him and stared at Draco.

"Look everyone!" he yelled out obnoxiously, pushing his oversized leprechaun hat back off his forehead to better see. "It's Harry Fucking Potter! Oooh…and a sexy snake lady," he slurred with a sloppy leer at Hermione.

"Seamus," Hermione said with a nod to the man as Draco instinctively placed himself between her and the drunk man.

"Started the party a bit early, eh, Finnegan?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Seamus barked out a laugh and pushed off of Neville who straightened his cape. "It's never too early to party!" He took a large swig then from a bottle he had clasped in his hand. He sighed appreciatively and offered it out to Draco who sneered.

"I'll pass," he said. Seamus shrugged and took another drink as the door chimed and magically announced the newest arrivals.

 _"Harry and Ginevra Potter,"_ it called out.

Draco and Hermione grinned at each other in eager anticipation and Neville immediately hurried to the door. The moment he pulled it open he fell against the wall and doubled over with laughter.

"Longbottom," Harry drawled, his chin in the air as he stepped into the pub with Ginny at his side.

"Really?" she said, smacking him in the shoulder, "You can't drop the Malfoy act even when you're greeting Neville?"

Harry looked sideways at her as he attempted to suppress the grin Neville's continued laughter was bringing to his face. "You can't win if you go half-arsed," he said, finally looking up to see Seamus, Hermione, and Draco looking at him. He gave them his best smirk and Hermione giggled as Draco openly gaped.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Draco said, his mouth falling open as he took in the sight of the platinum blond Harry dressed in Slytherin robes.

"Potter," Harry said, nodding at Draco with a smug look of triumph. Draco immediately fell back into character and narrowed his eyes behind his glasses.

"Malfoy," he said contemptuously, making a point to flick his hair off his forehead to reveal his fake lightning bolt scar. Harry's eyes travelled up to it and he nodded approvingly.

"Not bad, Malfoy," he said, "the hair's a nice touch. Hermione help?"

Draco nodded. "Looking good, Potter. How's it feel to finally be the sexiest man in the room?"

Harry rolled his eyes and Seamus looked drunkenly back and forth between the two. He frowned in confusion. "What the fuck am I seeing?" he garbled.

Neville finally calmed himself enough to push off the wall and slap his hand to Seamus's back. "You're seeing what are sure to be the two best costumes here tonight," he said jovially. Seamus simply blinked up at him as he swayed. Neville patted his back gently.

"Why don't you head out back for some air, mate?" he suggested, prying the bottle from his hand. Seamus nodded dumbly and with a final baffled look back at Harry and Draco, staggered off into the fray. The others all watched him go and then Neville turned back to address Harry.

"Good to see you," he finally greeted, sticking out his hand. Harry smiled as he took it with his own.

"You too, Nev," he said, wrapping his free arm around his friend for a manly hug.

"And Ginny," Neville added as he pulled back from Harry and looked at her, "It's wonderful to see you as well."

"Thank you for inviting us," Ginny smiled as she removed her cloak and handed it to Harry to hang.

"Us as well," Hermione interjected. Neville scoffed.

"Wouldn't be a party without friends," he smiled. The door chimed again.

"Why don't you all head over to the bar?" he said, motioning towards the center of the pub as he went back to the door, "Hannah's brewed up some wicked cocktails. I'll catch-up with you once I'm off door duty."

The others all nodded and trouped off as a group; the ladies slipping their arms into their respective husbands' as they went.

"Hermione, your costume is amazing," Ginny said, leaning around Harry to look at her. "I love the snakes."

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione replied, "Yours is rather good as well."

Ginny shrugged as she looked down at her pirate wench dress. "I went for simple. I knew I couldn't compete with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum here," she said with significant looks at the men at their sides.

"Hey," Harry and Draco both objected at the same time. Hermione and Ginny both laughed.

"And then of course there's Ron," Ginny said, rolling her eyes, "champion three years running."

"That streak ends tonight," Draco said surely, squaring his shoulders.

"Damn right it does," Harry agreed.

"Anyone know if he's here yet?" Hermione inquired, glancing over at Harry and Ginny again. They both snorted.

"Yeah, right," Harry grinned, "like Ron's ever been on time to anything."

"He'll be late to his own fucking funeral," Draco sniffed as they came up to the bar. Hannah, clad in a black leotard and cat ears, was behind it and immediately rushed over when she spotted them.

"Oh, Merlin help us," she laughed, looking amused at Draco and Harry. "You two are hilarious. Did you plan this together?"

"No," they answered in unison.

Hannah shook her head at them and smiled widely as she set several eerily smoking martini glasses upon the bar. "Ok then…Virgin pumpkin martinis for you two," she said, sliding two orange colored cocktails before Draco and Ginny.

Draco lifted the glass in a grateful salute as Ginny took hers and Hannah slid two more green drinks into Harry and Hermione's waiting hands.

"And two regular goblin daiquiris for you two," she said cheerily. She picked up a shot for herself. "And one for me! Cheers!"

The five of them toasted and each took a sip.

"OK…now go have fun! I'll see you all for the costume voting. Now… Shoo, shoo!" Hannah ordered, waving at them to go and then bounding off to the other end of the bar to help several others that were waiting.

"Thanks, Hannah!" Hermione called out. The blonde cat winked at her before turning back to her other guests to pour them drinks.

"I love that they do this every year," Ginny said as she blew the magic smoke from her drink to take another sip. The others nodded in agreement.

"This going to be your last year?" Draco asked, giving a pointed look to Ginny's belly. "Can't exactly bring the sprog along to a thing like this."

Harry shook his head and slipped a possessive hand about Ginny's waist.

"That's what Grandma and Grandpa Weasley are for," he said with a smirk that completed his costume perfectly. "And I'll have to come back to defend my 'best costume' title, after all."

"Dream on, Potter," Draco smirked right back, "I'm winning that shite. I didn't mess-up my hair only to walk away empty handed."

"You do look rather handsome if I dare say so," Ginny grinned, giving Draco a suggestive eye. Harry pinched her side and she laughed and pushed her drink into his chest. He took it from her and she reached forward and snagged Draco's hand.

"Come on, _Harry_ …I want to dance," she said, tugging at him to come along. Draco's smirk grew and he popped his eyebrows at Harry before handing his drink off to Hermione and following Ginny through the crowd to the makeshift dance floor.

Hermione set his drink on the bar and then turned to lean back against it to watch her husband weave through the other party goers with her friend. "I can't believe you dressed like him," she said, nudging Harry's foot. He simply grinned as he took a sip of his drink.

"You look good," she added, reaching up to smooth a hand over his perfectly slicked back hair. He chuckled.

"Good enough to win?" he asked, tilting his head as he watched more than a few of the other patrons stopping Draco and Ginny to comment and laugh over Draco's choice of costume.

Hermione looked back in their direction and bit her lip as Draco glanced at her and winked over the heads of a flock of fawning girls. "I don't know," she said as she continued to watch from the distance, "they seem to be loving him as you."

Harry rested his elbows back on the bar and hummed but didn't comment as they both watched Draco and Ginny shake-off the others around them and begin dancing provocatively when the song changed. Hermione laughed out loud at the sight of them as several others did the same.

"It's amazing how far we've all come together, isn't it?" Harry said with a nostalgic look as his pregnant wife ground her bum against a Harry-Potter-looking Draco Malfoy's crotch and laughed with the crowd of their old school mates and friends. Hermione nodded and then laid her head on Harry's shoulder.

Several of her snakes began to get riled until Harry made a quiet hissing noise and they settled at once. Hermione cocked an eyebrow up at him and he gave a half shrug.

"I do remember some Parseltongue," he admitted with a coy grin. Hermione sighed contentedly and he laced his fingers with hers at his side and squeezed. "So…care to dance Mrs. Malfoy?"

Hermione lifted her head and set her drink down. "I'd love to… _Mr. Malfoy."_

Harry led her out to come up alongside their spouses and were just about to begin showing off their moves when the pub door opened.

"The party can begin now, bitches! I've arrived!"

Draco and Ginny jolted to a stop and looked up as Harry and Hermione did the same at the sound of Ron's voice calling out the declaration to see the redhead grinning from ear to ear beside a shocked looking Neville.

The party guests all turned and one by one began to laugh hysterically as Ron then sashayed his way through them.

"I think you've been bested again," Hermione cringed, glancing first at Harry and then Draco.

"Damn, the Weasel's good," Draco grumbled, crossing his arms, "the wanker."

Harry laughed as Ron sidled up to them. "Really, Ron?" he asked, looking him up and down to take in the full view of his skin-tight sequined dress and platform heels.

Ron patted at his bouffanted hair and perked up his fake breasts dramatically as he shrugged. "It's Halloween….now, who wants to dance?"


End file.
